Electric vibrator



Dec. l0, 1940. o. HERMANN 2,224,263

ELECTRIC VIBRATOR Filed May 20, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet l i i A? Dec. 10, 1940. o- HERMANN 2,224,263

ELECTRIC VIBRATOR Filed May 20, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 O. HERMANN ELECTRIC VIBRATOR Dec. 10, 19.40.

Filed May 20, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet .'5

Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric vibrators of the type that will convert unidirectional current into alternating current.

An object of the invention is to provide a vibrator of this type embodying a step-up or stepdown transformer that will convert the unidirectional current into alternating current resembling in character a sine wave curve, and which will also turn back such alternating current into unidirectional current, as desired.

The invention comprises the vibrator and the parts and elements thereof combined and arranged in the manner illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved vibrator.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of v Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of an assembly embodying the invention with all of the electric circuit connections.

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the current input part of the vibrator.

Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating the current output part of the vibrator.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the insulators, certain of the bushings being in section to disclose the attaching rod.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, the contacts I and 2 are the interrupter contacts, constituting an automatic circuit breaker, and are electrically connected to the terminals of the coil 3 of the electro-magnet 4. The contact I is attached to the spring 5, which is connected by the conductor Ii to one of the leads of the coil 3 (Fig. 6). The spring 5 is attached to an armature 20 secured to the supporting member 'I vof Bakelite or the like, which is mounted for oscillation so as to move the contact I into and out of engagement with the Contact 2. The member 'l also supports on one side the contact members e and on the opposite side the contact members e', all of which contact members are connected with the metallic lugs 8 (Figs. 3 and 6) The contact member 2 is attached to a stationary supporting member 9 of Bakelite or the like and is electrically connected to the conductor IIJ. A conductor II is connected to the (Cl. ZOO-) other lead of the coil 3. Beyond the opposite side of the movable supporting member 'l from` the stationary supporting member 9, a stationary supporting member I2 of Bakelite or the like is mounted. The supporting member 9 has at- 5 tached thereto a pair of contact members a and another pair of contact members d (Fig. 2), and

the supporting member I2 has attached thereto a pair of contact members b and another pair of contact members c (Fig. 4). Metallic lugs I3 are attached to the respective Contact members a, d, b and c (Figs. 2' and 4).

While the Bakelite supports shown are circular, it is obvious that they may be of different shapes and that the contacts may be arranged thereon otherwise than as shown. As illustrated (Figs. 2, 3 and 4), the contacts are circular and are spaced approximately 90 from each other, forming annular series of contacts.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the contacts a and c are connected to the positive terminal of a battery B by the conductor IU, and the contacts b and d are connected by the conductor II with the opposite or negative side of the battery B. Rods I4 are attached to stationary end members I5 and I6 and extend through holes in the stationary lsupports 9 and I2, and also through the vibrating support l which is located between said supports 9 and I2. These rods have thereon enlarged portions I'I and spacer sleeves or bush- 30 ings II and I8, holding the members I2 and I5 and the members 9 and I2 and the members 9 and I6, respectively, in rigid spaced relationship. The supporting member 1 has holes therein of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the sleeves II so as to permit the member I to slide or vibrate freely along said sleeves Il. Nuts I 4 screwed on the ends of the rods I4 hold the assembly together in proper alined relationship.

The oscillating member I is supported by 40 springs I9 mounted on the sleeves I'l and seated upon the support I2. A soft iron armature 20 is attached to the oscillating support 'l. When the circuit in the coil 3 is closed by engagement of the contact members I and 2, the electro- 45 magnet is energized and the armature 20 is attracted and moved thereby in opposition to the springs I9, the compression of which rapidly increases and decreases in step with the closing and opening of the circuit in the coil 3. When the circuit in the coil 3 is opened by disengagement of the contacts I and 2, the compression in the springs I9 is reduced to its former condition since said springs expand to move the support 1 to its former position, as shown in Fig. 6. This process is repeated Very rapidly, resulting in a vibratory motion of the support I so long as the current is allowed to pass through the coil y3 of the armature.

Figs. 5 and 6 clearly illustrate the electrical connection of the contacts a and d and also the contacts b and c mounted, respectively, on the stationary supports 9 and I2 with the source B of unidirectional current. Figs. 5 and 6 also show the electrical connection of the'contacts e ande' on the ioscillating support 1 with .the primary P of a transformer, The contacts a and c are connected together by the conductor I0, which also leads to the source B of unidirectional current at the positive terminal thereof; and the contacts b and d are connected together by the conductor I I leading to the negative terminal of the battery B. The contacts e and e on the vibrating support I are connected to the terminals of the primary coil P of the transformer by the conductors 2I and 22, respectively.

When the vibrator is in operation and the relative positions of the parts with respect to each other are for a moment as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, the current passes from the positive terminal cf the battery B through the conductor I0 tothe contacts a, and thence to the contacts e, and thence through the conductor 22 through the primary coil P of the transformer, and from there through the conductor 2l to the contacts e and d, from where the current flows to the negative terminal of the battery through the conductor I I. In the following moment, the contacts e engage the contacts b and c so that the current ow through the primary coil P of the transformer is now in a direction opposite from the one indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6.

A further explanation of the function ofthe vibrator as it eifects the direction of current ow in the primary circuit P ofthe transformer is as follows:

At the instant the vibrator is connected to a source of unidirectional current, as shown in Figs. `5 and 6, the current in the primary circuit P of the transformer will flow in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. At the same time, the armature 20 which is supported by the vilorating support I that carries the contacts e and e is moved downwardly by the electro-magnet II. Thereby the electro-magnetic circuit'connected in shunt with the conductors Il) and I I leading to the terminals of the battery B will be interrupted at the contacts points I and 2. In consequence of this interruption, the contacts e and e will now make electrical connection with the contacts b and c, resulting in a change in the direction of current flew in the primary circuit P of the transformer. This is to say that now the current flow in the primary coil of the transformer is in a direction Opposite from Athat indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. At this time, the springs I9 Aquickly move upwardly the support 1, and thereby'the contacts e and e', into electrical connection with the contacts a and d. This upward and downward movement of the supporting member 'I is effected Very rapidly, and in step therewith a reversal in the direction of current flow in the primary P of the'transformer is the inevitable result. At the instant the contacts e and e connect with the contacts a and d, the current passes through the primary coil P in one direction and, at the subsequent movement, the contacts e and e connect with the contacts b and c, with the result that the current passes through the primary coil P in the opposite direction. Therefore, the current flowing through the primary of the transformer is an alternating current having characteristics .similarto a sine wave curve. 1

On the left-hand side of Fig. 5, and specifically .in Fig. 7, is shown the rectifier section of the vibrator. In these views of the drawings, the connection of the secondary S of the transformer to the contacts e and e' on the vibrating member 'I by the conductors 23 and 24, respectively, is

shown. These views of the drawings also show the conductor 25y connected to the contacts a and c on the stationary supporting members 9 and I2 and the conductor 26 connected to the contacts band d on the same stationary members. From the conductors 25 and 2,6, as determined by the nature of the vibrator, only unidirectional current iis obtained sov that one of the conductors is positive and the other negative.

Thez'invention may be Varied otherwise than as specifically indicated herein without departure from the nature and principle thereof.

I claim:

1. A vibrator comprising,` in combination, an interrupter to` effect a vibratory motion, and two stationary members, each of which carries four contacts, and a contact vand armature carrying vibratory member interposed between the stationary'members without any interference to oscillation, the contacts of the stationary members and the contacts of the vibratory member being positioned around a circle on opposite ends of the diameter, and each of the contacts carried by the two stationary members facing a contact united with the vibratory member.

2. A vibrator comprising an interrupterto efl fect a Vibratory motion of a contact and armature carrying Vibratory member interposed between two contact carrying stationary members for free oscillation, the contacts projecting on either side of the Vibratory member and the contacts projecting only on one side of the `stationary members, all of s id contact members being positioned around a circle on opposite ends of diameters to provide an alined relationship between the contacts of the stationary members and the contacts of the vib-ratory member, as specified.

3. A vibrator comprising, in combination, a disc-likev contact and armature carrying vibratory member interposed between two disc-like contact carrying stationary members, means to hold said stationary members in rigid spaced relationship with respect -to the vibratory member, and interrupter mechanism including coiled springs placed between stationary member and vibratory member to effect a rapid oscillatory motion of the Vibratory member between two fixed positions, as specified.

OTTO HERMANN. 

